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Mini implants
Narrower, quicker,
and more limited.
A mini implant is roughly half the diameter of a standard one and made in a single piece. That makes it possible where the ridge is too thin for a conventional implant — and it also means it carries less load. Both halves of that sentence matter.
Why people come here
- Surgery and the finished teeth done by one dentist, under one roof
- Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists
- Fellow of the Misch Institute — and faculty at its successor
- A written, itemized plan before anything is scheduled
What they are
One piece, about three millimeters across.
Standard implants are usually between 3.5 and 5 millimeters wide and come in two parts — the fixture and a separate abutment. A mini implant is typically under 3 millimeters and is machined as one piece, with the attachment head already on it.
Because it is narrower, it often goes in through a small opening rather than a raised flap, which means less surgery, less swelling and, in many cases, the ability to load it the same day.
Where they earn their place
- Stabilizing a lower denture that will not stay down
- A ridge too narrow for a standard implant, where the patient does not want grafting
- A small tooth in a tight space, such as a lower incisor
- Medical or financial reasons to avoid a larger surgical procedure
The honest comparison
What the trade actually is.
Choose a standard implant
When load matters
- Molars and anywhere you chew hard
- Single front teeth where the emergence profile has to be shaped
- Cases where the restoration may need to be changed later
- Anywhere there is enough bone, or grafting is acceptable
A mini implant can be right
When the ridge is the constraint
- Lower denture stabilization, where four minis transform the fit
- A knife-edge ridge and no appetite for grafting
- A narrow space that a standard implant would crowd
- A patient for whom a shorter, simpler procedure is the deciding factor
Questions
Mini implants, answered.
Are they as good as regular implants?
Not for every job, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling. They are excellent for denture stabilization and narrow sites. They are not the first choice for molars or for single front teeth where the gum contour has to be sculpted.
Do they last?
Well-selected mini implants have a good record in denture stabilization. The failures tend to be the cases where a mini was used for a job that needed a standard implant, which is a planning problem rather than a product problem.
Are they cheaper?
Per implant, yes — the fixture costs less and the surgery is simpler. Whether the overall treatment is cheaper depends on how many are needed and what they are carrying. Both routes will be costed on the same written estimate.
Start with an exam and a straight answer.
A consultation includes an examination, 3D imaging and a written, itemized plan. If implants are not the right treatment for you, Dr. Patellis will say so and tell you what is.